Provisional insurance claims related to damage caused by Cyclone Gabrielle have climbed to $890 million. Photo: 123rf
Provisional insurance claims following the devastation of Cyclone Gabrielle have reached $890 million.
The Insurance Council said more than 40,000 claims have been lodged so far, with around $70m-worth paid out.
It said home and contents made up more than half of the claims, worth an initial $453m.
Hawke's Bay recorded the most claims across all regions, with about 13,000.
That equated to almost a third of total claims. However, the severity of the damage in the region meant the claims there to-date were worth over $481m - more than half of the total.
The council said when combined with the Auckland Anniversary weekend floods, insurers had paid out more than $180m in claims.
It said the cyclone's effect on businesses was also evident, with more than $350m recorded for related insurance.
There have also been more than 5000 claims for vehicle damage, worth more than $73m.
Insurance Council chief executive Tim Grafton said despite the disaster now being in the recovery phase, some communities continued to face issues around silt, housing and access.
"Insurers are doing all that they can to get assessments completed and to agree next steps with customers.
"In the meantime, insurers have been working hard to activate temporary accommodation benefits for homeowners and renters alike."
